Here's the latest out of Milwaukee, where they're signing Alex Gonzalez (pending physical), potentially looking at Aramis Ramirez, Brewers gambled and lost when K-Rod accepted arbitration, and Brewers fans show that replacing Yuniesky Betancourt with a thumbtack improves the team, but replacing him with a defensive upgrade like Gonzalez is a sigh of relief:
- Twitter / @Ken_Rosenthal - "#Brewers to sign SS Alex Gonzalez. #MLB"
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Brewers pick Gonzalez over Yuni for shortstop " Brew Beat
"The Brewers filled the most glaring hole on their roster before boarding a flight home from the Winter Meetings on Thursday when they agreed to terms with shortstop Alex Gonzalez on a one-year contract that reportedly includes a vesting option for 2013." -
Ramirez is worth the pitch for Brewers - JSOnline
"If the money is right, signing Ramirez to play third base and hit fourth could be among the best personnel moves Doug Melvin has made, which is saying something. Ramirez fields the position better than Casey McGehee, vital for a team that did not catch the ball befitting a contender last season. Defense is even more important when it's still unclear if Mat Gamel, Corey Hart or somebody else is going to be playing first base by the time the 2012 season turns serious."
- K-Rod Accepts Arbitration With Brewers - FanGraphs Baseball
"Milwaukee is now in a tough spot financially. Prior to K-Rod accepting arbitration, their payroll sat around $71M with guaranteed salaries and predicted arbitration, according to Tom Haudricourt. It’s unlikely their payroll will reach the $100M mark for the first time in the history of the franchise — though owner Mark Attanasio has always maintained his payroll is flexible and opportunity-based — so the Brewers have roughly $10-15M to potentially upgrade third base, shortstop, first base, and the remainder of the bullpen." - Putting Alex Gonzalez Into Context - Brew Crew Ball
"Alex Gonzalez signing with the Brewers isn't a flashy move, nor is it a move that, in and of itself, will win the Brewers many games in 2012. But putting Alex Gonzalez into the context of replacing Yuniesky Betancourt turns this from a blah move to a very good move." << doesn't this sound exactly like what Royals fans said when Yuni left with Greinke? - ...and not a mention of Fielder in sight.
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